town planning
Preserved but no longer current.
The regulating of the ground plan or extension of a town with a view to securing the greatest advantages from the point of view of health, public amenities, convenience in transport, etc. The Town Planning Act was passed in 1909 — and various amending and other Acts came into force in subsequent years. In 1943 a Ministry of Town and Country Planning was constituted, with wide powers to originate and control develop- ment.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “town planning” mean?
The regulating of the ground plan or extension of a town with a view to securing the greatest advantages from the point of view of health, public amenities, convenience in transport, etc. The Town Planning Act was passed in 1909 — and various amending and other Acts came into force in subsequent years. In 1943 a Ministry of Town and Country Planning was constituted, with wide powers to originate and control develop- ment.
Is “town planning” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.